Martial the burning off season

[Saan]

As we inexorably creep towards the dreaded burning off season in Chiang Mai it occurred to me that it might be a good idea to utilise the troops on stand by to impose martial law to suppress the fires this season. After all aren't they ready and able to see that the law is enforced. Burning off is illegal, it is health threatening and it turns Chiang Mai into a no-go area for a period each year. So what better opportunity do we have than now to use Thailand's finest forces to spear head an attack on the evil forces who persist in threatening our health each year.

Does anyone have a direct line to the PM's office?

[khwaibah]

You better be prepared to declare war on all of South East Asia as all the surrounding countries are the real culprits.

[kalbo123]

You better be prepared to declare war on all of South East Asia as all the surrounding countries are the real culprits.

Sure Thai farmers would never do something like burning their land to make it ready for the next crops, blame it on the Burmese!

[Saan]

You better be prepared to declare war on all of South East Asia as all the surrounding countries are the real culprits.

Sure Thai farmers would never do something like burning their land to make it ready for the next crops, blame it on the Burmese!

A lot the burning off is probably done by hill tribes so they don't count as Thais - not to the Thais.

[MisterTee]

You better be prepared to declare war on all of South East Asia as all the surrounding countries are the real culprits.

That's true, obviously.

Seasonal burning is part of the agricultural cycle in organic farming, and it has been going on since prehistoric times.

The only solution is to let agro-business destroy family farming and impose their chemical intensive methods.

Smoke haze is a regional problem, not just local. In places like Sumatra and Borneo it is also related to land clearing for plantations, but here in Northern Thailand it is mostly done by farmers working small plots of land.

[Thailand]

Many of the farmers probably rent their land from the military,certainly the wealthy general/ admiral landowners, so I would think that would be a no go.

[khwaibah]

Follow this link as it is very accurate. http://satellite.ehabich.info/asia.htm

Red dots are fires.

Edited November 23, 2014 by khwaibah

[Ulysses G.]

You better be prepared to declare war on all of South East Asia as all the surrounding countries are the real culprits.

Sure Thai farmers would never do something like burning their land to make it ready for the next crops, blame it on the Burmese!

The point is that Northern Thailand is surrounded by other countries doing the same kind of burning. Stop it here and there will still be a smoky season anyway as the wind carries it all over the area.

[eyecatcher]

So its just a list of excuses.

A bit like voting then.....my single vote wont make any difference.

Lame and weak.

The Govt need to grow some balls.

[Saan]

You better be prepared to declare war on all of South East Asia as all the surrounding countries are the real culprits.

Sure Thai farmers would never do something like burning their land to make it ready for the next crops, blame it on the Burmese!

The point is that Northern Thailand is surrounded by other countries doing the same kind of burning. Stop it here and there will still be a smoky season anyway as the wind carries it all over the area.

Your comment is similar to many climate change arguments - we're not going to do anything about it because others aren't doing anything which leaves us nowhere.

After the smoke haze from Indonesia that engulfed Singapore and Malaysia last year pressure might be brought to bear through ASEAN to bring in some form of control.

Also China is starting to take action on climate control and they do carry a big stick.

[khwaibah]

So its just a list of excuses.

A bit like voting then.....my single vote wont make any difference.

Lame and weak.

The Govt need to grow some balls.

Not lame and not making an excuse for Thailand but everyone thinks that if Thailand stops their burning then Chiang Mai air will magically clear. Chiang Mai is in a geographically location thats has always attracted this pollution. This has been documented by man from the earliest settlers of Chiang Mai. As for as growing some cojones I could add another 100 items to the list which would all come out above the air pollution.

[Saan]

So its just a list of excuses.

A bit like voting then.....my single vote wont make any difference.

Lame and weak.

The Govt need to grow some balls.

Not lame and not making an excuse for Thailand but everyone thinks that if Thailand stops their burning then Chiang Mai air will magically clear. Chiang Mai is in a geographically location thats has always attracted this pollution. This has been documented by man from the earliest settlers of Chiang Mai. As for as growing some cojones I could add another 100 items to the list which would all come out above the air pollution.

Are you saying that if all burning off could be stopped in the north west of Thailand there would be no improvement in air quality in Chiang Mai?

[puukao]

Follow this link as it is very accurate. http://satellite.ehabich.info/asia.htm

Red dots are fires.

how do you know it's very accurate...I see two red dots in question!!!!

I will visit each fire personally and then report my findings.

[khwaibah]

So its just a list of excuses.

A bit like voting then.....my single vote wont make any difference.

Lame and weak.

The Govt need to grow some balls.

Not lame and not making an excuse for Thailand but everyone thinks that if Thailand stops their burning then Chiang Mai air will magically clear. Chiang Mai is in a geographically location thats has always attracted this pollution. This has been documented by man from the earliest settlers of Chiang Mai. As for as growing some cojones I could add another 100 items to the list which would all come out above the air pollution.

Are you saying that if all burning off could be stopped in the north west of Thailand there would be no improvement in air quality in Chiang Mai?

It would help but not to the degree that people would like as the majority of the pollution you will have starting about February comes from outside Thailand.

[MESmith]

The "burning off" season is well under way. The smog season comes later.....

[jobin]

There may not be much of a problem with the burning off, except for the sensitive expats.

[MrBrad]

There is not a large enough army to patrol all the fires that burn everywhere in these parts. Just about everyone and his neighbor--many expats included--will not think twice about setting fire to a pile of leaves or rice straw. And it probably wouldn't be half bad, but they then continue to heap more straw onto the barely burning fire causing it to smolder and spew smoke sometimes for hours. Oh, for a few buckets of water or a garden hose to douse the smoke-producing embers after some 90% of the grass and leaves have been burnt. There's something about a smoldering pile of brush that is satisfying to the local citizenry.

If some of the more-conscientious farmers don't want to have anyone see their burning during the daylight hours, they'll chose to do their burning and smoldering at night. That's when I notice it the most lately...during the evening hours after dark.

And, though we and they, too, know what needs to be done, I don't think there'll be much improvement for years to come, if ever.

[Sparkles]

I think you would be surprised just how many Army personnel there are in Northern Thailand with very little to do. Locating fires in the daylight hours you would hardly need to be Sherlock Holmes.

While there might be some smoke from neighbouring countries surely the majority is produced locally and hangs around due to lack of breeze/wind and the basin effect of CM

Doesn't particularly worry me but for people who have breathing difficulties is must be very uncomfortable.

All gets back to lack of education education and we know what priority that is given in this country

[Thailand]

There may not be much of a problem with the burning off, except for the sensitive expats.

A have a couple of friends who are Thai GPs, they say differently. A big increase in respiratory problems during the "high" burning season, but what do they know!

[MESmith]

There may not be much of a problem with the burning off, except for the sensitive expats.

I guess you don't live in the countryside. Where we live, for several months of the year, our kids cannot play out in the garden after school, because of burning by farmers & locals. TBH going by a lot of your posts, you don't rate very high in our household The five knuckle shuffle emoticon appears to have been removed by admin....

Edited November 23, 2014 by MESmith

[Ulysses G.]

While there might be some smoke from neighbouring countries surely the majority is produced locally and hangs around due to lack of breeze/wind and the basin effect of CM

You need to check out the fire map during the height of burning season. The number of fires all over the whole region is shocking.

[Dante99]

While there might be some smoke from neighbouring countries surely the majority is produced locally and hangs around due to lack of breeze/wind and the basin effect of CM

You need to check out the fire map during the height of burning season. The number of fires all over the whole region is shocking.

Very very true. A lot seem to be forest fires not intentionally set by humans. Neighboring countries are very large contributors to the problem.

[jobin]

I loved burning the dry fallen elm leaves back home when i was a boy. The entire neighborhood was filled with fragrant, musky smoke. A powerful memory. Even now when i smell a smoky wood fire in the early morning , i revert to my caveman brain centers and revel in my animal nature.

Of course, too smoky can be a health and environmental issue. Sorry to hear the kids can't play outdoors.

[MrBrad]

As for forest fires, I've heard first hand from one of the hilltribesmen that they intentionally set fires on one side of a grove to chase animals in the other direction where hunters are waiting to shoot the fleeing animals.

Lots of losers in this scenario. Sigh.

[Saan]

While there might be some smoke from neighbouring countries surely the majority is produced locally and hangs around due to lack of breeze/wind and the basin effect of CM

You need to check out the fire map during the height of burning season. The number of fires all over the whole region is shocking.

Very very true. A lot seem to be forest fires not intentionally set by humans. Neighboring countries are very large contributors to the problem.

Judging by the fire map posted by Kwaibah you would think northern Australia was a centre of burning off. But those are pretty remote areas and most, if not all, of those fires have been started by lightning strikes.

Wasn't there a petition being signed last year asking that action be taken on burning off and then sent to Yingluck? Perhaps it could be resurrected and sent Prayut who seems anxious to be proactive.

[khwaibah]

While there might be some smoke from neighbouring countries surely the majority is produced locally and hangs around due to lack of breeze/wind and the basin effect of CM

You need to check out the fire map during the height of burning season. The number of fires all over the whole region is shocking.

Very very true. A lot seem to be forest fires not intentionally set by humans. Neighboring countries are very large contributors to the problem.

Judging by the fire map posted by Kwaibah you would think northern Australia was a centre of burning off. But those are pretty remote areas and most, if not all, of those fires have been started by lightning strikes.

Wasn't there a petition being signed last year asking that action be taken on burning off and then sent to Yingluck? Perhaps it could be resurrected and sent Prayut who seems anxious to be proactive.

Check that map every few days and you will start seeing the difference by February and March Thailand will be surrounded by a sea of RED.

[northernjohn]

Follow this link as it is very accurate. http://satellite.ehabich.info/asia.htm

Red dots are fires.

That is nothing. wait until the hot season hits us.

[northernjohn]

You better be prepared to declare war on all of South East Asia as all the surrounding countries are the real culprits.

Sure Thai farmers would never do something like burning their land to make it ready for the next crops, blame it on the Burmese!

The point is that Northern Thailand is surrounded by other countries doing the same kind of burning. Stop it here and there will still be a smoky season anyway as the wind carries it all over the area.

Your comment is similar to many climate change arguments - we're not going to do anything about it because others aren't doing anything which leaves us nowhere.

After the smoke haze from Indonesia that engulfed Singapore and Malaysia last year pressure might be brought to bear through ASEAN to bring in some form of control.

Also China is starting to take action on climate control and they do carry a big stick.

I disagree with you on this. He is not arguing about doing nothing he is just being honest with what is really happening. If you want to do some thing about some thing know what it is you are fighting.

Hundreds of years of tradition and countries that fight forest fires with a man holding a garden hose hooked up to nothing. What is needed is international cooperation as well as showing the farmers different ways to clear the fields.

This article was started as an attempt to take a cheap shot at the Martial law. Wait until the burning season it might already be in the planning.

[Greenside]

I hear there's a significant amount of burning already going on between here and Lamphun.

[Awk]

So its just a list of excuses.

A bit like voting then.....my single vote wont make any difference.

Lame and weak.

The Govt need to grow some balls.

Not lame and not making an excuse for Thailand but everyone thinks that if Thailand stops their burning then Chiang Mai air will magically clear. Chiang Mai is in a geographically location thats has always attracted this pollution. This has been documented by man from the earliest settlers of Chiang Mai. As for as growing some cojones I could add another 100 items to the list which would all come out above the air pollution.

Are you saying that if all burning off could be stopped in the north west of Thailand there would be no improvement in air quality in Chiang Mai?

It would help but not to the degree that people would like as the majority of the pollution you will have starting about February comes from outside Thailand.

I am sure that you, like all other people here spouting the same, have no real knowledge about what part of the pollution is generated locally here in the north, and what blows in from other countries.